§ David MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress of the Temple Sowerby bypass in Cumbria. [5339]
§ Mr. SpellarI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to the right hon. Member.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. David Maclean, dated 20 July 2001:
The Transport Minister, John Spellar, has asked me to reply to your recent question about progress on the Temple Sowerby Bypass in Cumbria.You will be aware from my colleague, John Kerman's letter of 29 January, that the Temple Sowerby Bypass is listed in the Government's 1998 strategic review of the roads programme, 'A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England', as a scheme to be progressed through its preparatory stages so that if, after full appraisal and statutory procedure, it is eventually endorsed it can be taken forward without delay.Good progress is being made on the appraisal and we expect to report our findings to the Regional Planning Conference later this summer. The next stage will depend on the decisions taken by the Conference.If you would like any further information about this scheme, you may wish to contact the Highways Agency's Project Manager for the scheme, John Yellowley, at Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, MI 4BE (telephone W61 930 5685).